Pastor heads to Ukraine to prepare summer church trip

Fite Memorial Baptist minister: 'They probably need us'

5:01 AM,
Mar. 28, 2014

The Rev. David Carlyle holds a Ukrainian flag in the sanctuary of the church he leads, Fite Memorial Baptist Church, 497 Davids St. Carlyle was headed to Ukraine Thursday to prepare for a summer Bible school adventure camp.

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For the past 11 years, the Rev. David Carlyle, pastor of Fite Memorial Baptist Church, has made 18 trips to the nation in eastern Europe. Despite Russia's annexation of Crimea, reports it has increased its troop numbers along the eastern border of Ukraine and travel warnings, Carlyle expected to arrive there again today.

"I guess our thought is they probably need us now more than they did before, with the uncertainty there," he said. "We're not fools. We're not going to tempt God needlessly. ... If things don't get worse, we just feel like the boys ...